Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Congress that the ongoing government shutdown has left 13,000 air traffic controllers working without pay, threatening holiday travel plans and aviation safety.
The shutdown, now in its third week, has forced controllers to seek second jobs while recruitment efforts face collapse as prospective controllers abandon training programs, according to Duffy’s Capitol Hill testimony.
“They’re angry. … They’re frustrated that the Congress — at least in the Senate — is focused on paying for health care benefits for illegals as opposed to paying their paychecks for the great work that they provide to the American people,” Duffy said.
Controllers face their first missed paycheck next Tuesday for the October work already performed.
The transportation secretary painted a grim picture of potential flight disruptions.
“I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s going to be on time. I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s not going to be canceled. It’s going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming in to work every single day… If they do not, we’ll know whose fault it is,” he stated.
Financial pressures are forcing controllers, who work 60 hours per week, to make difficult career choices.
“I don’t want my air traffic controllers to take a second job… I want them coming to their facilities and controlling the airspace, but they’re having to make decisions about how they spend their time to make sure they put food on their table,” Duffy explained.
The shutdown’s impact extends beyond current workers to future recruitment.
“They’re thinking about leaving the Academy — smart young men and women — because they don’t want to work for a system that won’t pay them, that doesn’t guarantee them a paycheck. … Problems that ricochet in the months and the years to come,” the secretary warned.
As the shutdown stretches on, the nation’s air traffic control system faces both immediate operational challenges and long-term workforce shortages that could affect aviation safety for years.